How many of us have a nostalgic image of dogs and children that includes a child sharing an ice cream cone with a dog? How many of us consider our pets to be so much a part of the household that we share our birthday cakes with them? Many of us equate food and love or food and well-being; when it comes to our pets we feel that if we share what we eat with our pets that we are sharing our affection with them and are making our best efforts to care for them. However, our dogs are not equipped to eat the identical things that we eat. While humans and our dogs share canine teeth in the front, we do not share their need for a preponderance of meat in our diet. And, while dogs are capable of eating a limited amount of grains and vegetables in their diets, they do not share our need for fresh green leaves and carbohydrates.

In many cases, there is no harm in sharing our meals with our dogs. The lack of a need for a particular food does not mean that particular food is harmful. In some cases, however, unneeded food is indeed hazardous to our pets. Here are five foods that you should avoid giving to your pets.

Chocolate

By now it should be readily apparent to dog owners that chocolate is a bad thing for dogs, but it cannot be repeated often enough how bad it really is for them to eat. One thing that makes chocolate so hazardous for dogs is its sweetness: dogs love sweet things and will go out of their way consume big quantities of these foods, such as chocolate. The hazardous chemical in chocolate is called "theobromine." This chemical causes vomiting, diarrhea, fast respirations, seizures, and even death in dogs, so even a small quantity of it should be considered lethal. Even though milk chocolate has less theobromine in it than baker’s chocolate contains, neither should be considered OK to give to your dog.

Grapes/Raisins

Grapes and raisins may cause kidney failure in your dog, even if given in small quantities. As with chocolate, the sweetness of grapes and raisins appeals to dogs. However, unlike chocolate, it is not known what it is in grapes and raisins that make them so dangerous to dogs. Many dogs will have no reaction at all to the chemicals contained in grapes despite eating a bunch of them, while others will have an almost immediate reaction after eating only one grape. Because raisins are dehydrated grapes they can create an even greater risk, since it is likely that whatever is contained in grapes will be concentrated by the dehydration process.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts, a usual ingredient in cookies and cakes, can have an effect on your dog’s musculature, causing weakness and tremors if consumed. The toxin contained in macadamia nuts is present in raw and cooked nuts and is also present in macadamia nut pastes.

Salmon

Dog foods produced for dogs with sensitive skins and stomachs sometimes contain salmon as one of their ingredients. There are also canned dog foods that have salmon. While these products are safe for dogs because of the way that they are manufactured, canned salmon and fresh salmon intended for human consumption are not OK for your dog. Salmon poisoning, characterized by parasites infected with a rickettsial organism that attack the dog’s digestive system, can mimic gastrointestinal illnesses. This poisoning demonstrates symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and weakness. It can, however, be a fatal disease if left untreated. Caught early enough, salmon poisoning can be successfully treated.

Xylitol

Dogs don’t know enough to avoid swallowing gum after chewing. A common ingredient in diet candies and sugarless gum, xylitol, is highly dangerous to your dog. If your dog eats a product containing xylitol, it is possible for your dog to suffer liver failure, leading to death. It only takes a small amount of xylitol to cause a rapid drop in blood sugar due to an excess of insulin being produced by the pancreas, weakness in your dog’s limbs, vomiting, or seizures. Left untreated, xylitol poisoning can lead to your dog’s death.